Arthur Martinez, the CEO who led Sears' successful turnaround,
has a reputation as one of industry's shrewdest users of outside
professional help. He likes to call on consultants when Sears
has a clear cut problem in need of solution.

But when he uses an outside advisor, Martinez already has
thought through several possible solutions. The job of the advisor
is to serve as an impartial sounding board, a sparing partner
to help Martinez test his ideas and then identify the pros
and cons of proposed courses of action.

Consultants are problem solvers. They excel at developing
and selling ideas, and they can be great simplifiers.

Good advisors, though, often muddy the waters, leaving their
clients with a new and often broader perspective. They are better
problem-definers than solvers. At their best, they contribute
to strengthening their clients capacity to solve their own problems.

Advisors can provide an early-warning about emerging problems,
signals often missed by a consultant's sharp focus on eliminating
the problem at hand.

These are two very different roles. It's hard for one person
- or firm - to act well in both capacities at the same time.

For an example of the distinction, look at this report on
leadership development: